Improvement in the manufacture of ice



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYDNEY JAMES NEWSHAM, 0E MONT CLAIR, AND WILLIAM H. HAINEs AND WILLIAM s. HENsoN, oF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTUR'E OF lCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 108,816, dated November l, 1870.

We, SYDNEY JAMES NEwsHAM, of Mont Clair, county of Essex, WILLIAM H. HAINEs, of the city of- Newark, and WILLIAM S. HEN- SON, also of the city of Newark, county of Essex, State of N ew Jersey, respectfully represent that we have made certain Improvements in the Mode of Producing Ice, of which the following is a specification:

The first part of our invention relates to the mode of freezing water in bags made of textile fabrics or felt, and of a porous nature, and having-ribs, of wood or metal, attached to hold them in their desired forni; or the bags may be inserted within suitable frames made of wood or metal, or other suitable material, to which the bags may be permanently attached or not, as may be deemed most desirable, the` object being to exposel a larger surface of the water to be frozen to the action of the cold atmosphere during the winter season, and to dispense with the use of ponds', lakes, and other large sheets of water, yet produce the ice in large quantities for coinmercial purposes, and avoid, to a large extent, the expense of conveyance, by producing the ice in the neighborhood of the market or place of consumption; also, to enable private individualsto fill their own icc-houses without having'ponds; and the freezing, being 'done under the shade of a roof, will not be interrupted by the sun, and can be successfully carried oirwhen ponds, lakes, and rivers are not sufficiently frozen vduring mild winters, and, therefore, ice can be produced at a lower cost than by the natural process of collection from open waters, which is frequently checked by sun, by snow, and warm springs. rlhe second part of our invention relatesv to the Inode of extracting the frozer. masses of ice from the bags by rapidly melting the surfaces of the blocks of ice inside a chamber or box of wood or metal, or other suitable material, heated by hot air from a furnace, or steam from a steam-boiler, orby means of hot water, and causing the blocks of ice to become sepa rated from the bags in which they were frozen, when they will be immediately removed to the store-house and the process be repeated.`

Figure l ofthe drawings represents a plan of a building', and Fig. 6 an elevation of the same; and Fig. S, an end view, the upper part in -Fig'. 6 being shown without thc side walls, and having an abundance ofopenings for the admission of the cold air from without, in which may be seen a considerable number of the bags and frames arranged two deep, and in several rows, the building being also provided with shutters turning on pivots or hinges,and capable of being fixed-in any-desired position for causing any wind that may happen to be blowing to pass through the building. Fig.,2 is a pla-n of an icehouse for storing ice; and Figs. 5 and 7 are elevations of similar storehouses in near proximity, and having gangways for transmitting the ice from the freezing-house to the store-houses. Fig. 3 represents one of the freezingbags attached'inside a wooden frame, having handles for lifting and carrying the same, and made larger at the top than the bottoni. box large enough to contain the frame and bag, andinade either of wood or metaL'and' having a steam-pipe .and stop-"cock fitted, to

which, in practice, a flexible hose will also attached, and having the other end of the hose connected to a small steam-boiler.

The mode of proceeding is as follows: Suitable freezing and store houses heilig located nea-r a good spring or well, or other good supply of water, we take a number of the bags and frames, the bags being attached to the frames on the upper side, and ranged inside of the freezing-house on one or more doors, whereA747 it is Inost'convenient, as shown, Figs. 1 ,a'nd 6,'. l for transferring the ice 4into the storehousesj- They are then lilled nearly full of \vater,eithe1' by hand or by means of suitable pipes, andi? after a suliicient exposure to the cold air', which.

must, of course, be below 320 Fahrenheit, they will become frozen solid. Men will then remove them, one at a time, to the ga way, where the steam-box, Fig. 4, will be placed over them, and, the cockv being openeda short time, the block of ice 'will rapidly 'melt on the outer surfaces and become detached from the bag, and when the bag and frame are turned upside down upon the gang-way, and then lifted o the block of ice, the latter will slide' into the ice house or store, providing the gan gway is at a suitable incline and properly made;

Fig., 4 represents a 2 10eme and the men will immediately replace the empty bags with their frames and refill them with water, as before. By this method, proriding the bags are of suite-ble size, say about two feet square and about twelve or eighteen inches deep, and at suitable distances apart, sity. from two to twelve inches, (notunneees surlly tnkng too much room,) nbout four 'times the amount of surface ina-y be exposed to freeze byvthe action of the cold nir than is possible on a. pond where the upper surface only is exposed; and the porous nature of the canvas 'bugs (which we prefer) causes th'eni to freeze as rapidly on the sides and bottoms as on the surfaces, as the evaporation from the wet or damp surfaces, when acted upon by eren a. slight wind, reduces the temperature sever-.1l degrees, as is well known.

' .lhe bugs might be mede of india-rubber cloth, or japnnned or oiled cloths, but these, not being porous, would not be so goed as the canvas or felt; therefore, we give the can vas the preference, ns being the cheapest and strongest, :uid better than any other material for the purpose, being better than metal pans, which have been used before, and which take and J. Henderson, patent issued inthe week ending September 12, 1865;) but WVe claim as our invention- 1. Canvas or felt bags and frames of suitable material for holding water for freezing into ice, substantially as shown, in the manner hereinbefore set forth. i

2. The chamber or box heated by hot air or hot water er steam, for the purposes herein- `before mentioned, substantially as described.

SYDNEY JAMES NEWSHAM. W; H. HAINES.. WM. S. HENSON.

Witnesses:

WM. BnADsHAw, G. M. Colm. 

